This Upper East Side mainstay dating to 1972 is a paragon of bar food. Sure the turkey club and chef’s salad are up to par, but what commands the most attention are the burgers, which pop up enticingly in the pass-thru of the semi-open kitchen. The ground beef is fresh and the patty arrives deeply seared from the flat top, but still pink and juicy. Rippled cottage fries are the classic accompaniment.

Looking like a spaceship that landed by a nest of highway overpasses long ago, this spot has been located in Jersey City since 1946. Before that, the building started off as a minor attraction at the 1936 World's Fair in Flushing, Queens. Today, it serves classic sliders with cheese and pickles, small enough that you can eat two or three at its curving Formica counter. It was once open 24/7, but hours are now 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Many worried when the Court Street Grocers took over the old Eisenberg’s that it wouldn’t be as good. Well, it is, and that includes the burger. It has been rehabilitated like it’s a burger of long ago — a modest patty, smothering American cheese, raw onions, plain dill pickles, and most importantly, glorious quantities of mustard.

First offered at the late East Village bar Black Emperor, this simple burger nowlives onat chef Jae Lee’s Korean-American restaurant Nowon. Eater critic Ryan Suttonextolledthe cheeseburger for its simplicity: a blend of chuck and short rib on a sesame bun with American cheese, kimchi mayo, and a hulking pickle skewered on top.

Balthazar cranks out a pretty amazing burger, and the great ground beef, cooked medium rare and oozing juices, is only one aspect of the picture. From a choice of several cheeses, pick the Gruyere — this is a classic brasserie, after all — and slather on plenty of the homemade mayo, reserving some for the fries. These twice-fried spuds are good enough to eat all at once before taking a bite of the burger.

The cheeseburger at Momofuku alum Samuel Yoo’scharmingTwo Bridges diner comes with a crisped, six-ounce chuck and brisket blend and all the regular toppings like tomato, onions, and lettuce. But there’s also an unusual addition, as well — a mushroom gochujang sauce — that makes this burger spicy, earthy, and utterly electric.

The burgers served at this Brooklyn Pakistani restaurant were so popular that owner Sibte Hassan outgrew his original home in Bushwick. He relocated to this expanded space in Williamsburg two weeks before the pandemic, where his fat, juicy patties now live on. The burgers here pack heat, without feeling heavy, and come zhuzhed up with a grilled tomato slice and schmear of mint chutney. There are additional locations inside Dekalb Market and at the Hugh food hall.

When a burger creeps toward the $20 mark — without fries — it’s held to a different standard: We expect better beef, a cheese that holds its own, and maybe a spoonful of jammy, caramelized onions to tie things together. Rolo’s in Ridgewood hits all the marks with its double cheeseburger, throwing a pickled hot pepper on the side like it’s an old-school Brooklyn deli. It’s rich and deeply satisfying, the kind of burger you might not want to share but will be glad you did.

In 2013, Joel Tompkins and Toby Cecchini restored and re-opened Long Island Bar, a neighborhood fixture since 1951. Today, in addition to offering fabulous mid-century design — there’s the diminutive single dry-aged patty burger ($17) served with pickles, cheese, fancy sauce, and fries. If you’re really hungry you can get the double-patty Long Island burger ($20), but the former hits the spot and doesn’t weigh you down.

Like many of the bigger burgers on this list, the off-menu one at Gus’s is best when shared. Grab hold of the bun and watch meat juices flow as you divide this burger with a steak knife that’s probably meant for the $43 lamb loin. The patty is made from a blend of pork, chuck, and dry-aged beef, then topped with raw and caramelized onions, aged cheddar, and cornichons. To note, this burger isn’t listed on the menu, and there’s a limited number made each night.

When a burger becomes the sleeper hit of a cult-favorite pizza restaurant, you pay attention. Matt Hyland’s so-called Emmy burger at Emily is a dry-aged blend, blanketed in American cheese with a handful of caramelized onions. It’s served on a pretzel roll and makes for a particularly rich rendition of a burger.